[Darlene]

I'm a lucky lady, hubby often cooks dinner & cleans up but there are those times when I really am not looking forward to dinner & dinner is one of my fav things. So on those um rare occasions when he cooks something I don't like I just smile and eat it. I try to give hints as he's cooking, being ever so careful not to cross that line where I'm being critical... Last night we were supposed to have Ham, mashed potatoes & steamed spinach but he wanted to "be in charge". Well he's got this "thing" for casseroles. Potatoes, meat & veggie in one and uses a casserole dish that doesn't spread things out to heat better so he gets some potatoes cooked more than others, sometimes too much salt & has crunchy onions. Ugh crunchy onions. :ack: I know I'm being a jerk but who is going to eat those leftovers? He was so proud of dinner last night, I couldn't let him know... How do you handle those kind of meals?

PS, I'm cooking tonight. :mdance:

 

[Russ]

Darlene, I hate to say it but...

If you cooked something he didn't like, what would you expect him to do? Just shut up and eat it?

 

[AmyBoz]

Well, Dh doesn't get home in time to cook, so I don't quite have to deal with that. Good thing, because my dh is very, VERY sensitive and would not take it well if I didn't like something he made.

That being said, I don't really know what I'd do. I do know that it makes me insane when the kids complain about dinner, but I also know they are kids. My response is always "When you start cooking dinner, you can start having an opinion on what we are having." So, I guess I wouldn't really have a right to say anything if someone cooked something I didn't like, but I have to imagine I really wouldn't want to eat something I didn't like. I'd send it back at a restaurant, so...

I'm realizing that this is a kind of non-answer answer, so perhaps I just shouldn't have responded! :toothy:

 

[stinkbug]

I find it weird that your husband doesn't know what foods you dislike.....
I'm kinda picky and don't eat much meat. Dh is a carnivore. We manage fine...we both cook, if one doesn't care for it, we don't eat it. I wouldn't expect someone to eat food they dislike....

 

[Pemberleyan]

I would tell him I didn't care for it, which can easily be done without being rude, etc. No need to pretend.

 

[craftypam]

My dh also cooks and lately I have been trying new dinners because I'm tired of cooking the same things over and over. And we just tell each other if we don't like something, as long as you say it nicely. Why should either of you eat what you don't like over and over again.

 

[frugalwarrior2]

Dh stays out of the kitchen and I won't try to fix the garage door. At this point,we know are strengths- and weaknesses. DH has never made a casserole.

 

[Darlene]

Darlene, I hate to say it but...

If you cooked something he didn't like, what would you expect him to do? Just shut up and eat it?

He likes everything except for limburger cheese + I'm a good cook. :toothy: I guess we were both raised that to complain would be rude. I just wouldn't want to hurt someone who genuinely worked hard like my hubby, he sure enjoyed what he made. If it was burnt or total salt fest is one thing and I'd speak up & have, lol. In a restaurant I'd be picker because I'm more removed from the feelings of the person who made it plus I'm paying big $ for it.

Stinkbug, he does know what foods I like & visa versa. I usually like all the components of what he makes it's just his style of cooking them doesn't always get the optimum results. So it's not so much what he's cooking but how he cooks it.

I'm just lucky to have a guy that tries and food to put on our plates.

 

[pollypurebred39]

LOL FW! That's the way it is around here too.

As far as your question, I'm not sure really. I think I'd just be so thankful someone else cooked I'd eat it and never say a word. But, you have take that advice with a grain of salt because I'm coming from a place where I'm the one who cooks 99% of the time. The other 1% would be my boys. DH has been known to grab a bowl of cereal or a sandwich if I'm under the weather. It would NEVER even occur to him that the rest of us might be hungry too, and offer to get us something. So coming from that place, I'd eat anything he cooked, if he were to cook.

 

[Neeley]

DH and DS cook on a regular basis and I've never really encountered this. Even when I did not eat meat, DH would cook me a totally separate dinner if I would not eat what he made. If I am not in the mood for what has been cooked, I just tell him I am not in the mood and he will make me something else or I can get a sandwich.

I don't think it's a matter of being rude or ungrateful, just honest. He tells me if something I made wasn't very good and I don't take offense to it. I want to know what they all enjoyed so I can cook it more and not cook it again if they didn't enjoy it.

I tell him when he looks like he has gained a few pounds, his hair is kind of wonky or if I don't like what he is wearing and he does the same to me. I definitely could tell him if the food he made is not that great and not be afraid that I have hurt his feelings.

 

[MaryCarney]

Two thoughts - could you start a one month 'rate a meal' program - every night's dinner comes with a scorecard - it would be a neutral way to discuss food preferences for BOTH of you.

My second thought is something I trained my children to say when either we served something they didn't like or if they were a guest in someone's home - "It's not my favorite, I'll just have a small portion please"

 

[lparker]

Throw the rest of the cassarole in a stew pot and cook it to your liking. I might of mentioned that the potatoes and onions were a little chewy.

Lee

 

[Palooka]

I wish I had this problem. :laugh: I'd probably pass out if my dh attempted anything in the kitchen for us to eat, but first I would have to take a pic.

My dh has no problem saying good or bad comments of what I make. I'd probably just be honest in the same way.

 

[Libby]

When DF or Dad and I try new recipes on each other - we try it as they made it and then suggest possible variations (ie changes for the better) for future makings of the dishes. So far its worked out for us...and then theres my dad who's excessively blunt and it has hurt both the feelings and insulted DF and DBIL :lol: But now they know that that is just how he is.

 

[monkeywrangler71]

I don't like my food mixed together, so I would have told him I didn't want it in a casserole. I'm a picky eater and everybody knows it, so I don't think people are insulted when I don't want something.

I've made meals that my husband didn't like and I always want to know if it's bad so that I don't make it again.

 

[monkeywrangler71]

I don't like my food mixed together, so I would have told him I didn't want it in a casserole. I'm a picky eater and everybody knows it, so I don't think people are insulted when I don't want something.

I've made meals that my husband didn't like and I always want to know if it's bad so that I don't make it again.

 

[druthb00]

Dh stays out of the kitchen and I won't try to fix the garage door. At this point,we know are strengths- and weaknesses. DH has never made a casserole.

Yeah, this is pretty much how I look at it in terms of having BF in the kitchen lol. The extent of his "cooking" ability is HM oven fries and guacamole...which he does a good job at, btw. But have him make a fruit salad using mango and pineapple and all hell breaks loose. He used the ENTIRE mango as well as pineapple, minus the skin. Needless to say, it was fun picking through the pieces (we're talking diced size) that were edible and those that had the core in them. He no longer makes fruit salad (we're both OK with this :lol In his defense, he didn't exactly have any guidance. I was busy making enchiladas and not paying attention.

In response to the original question...honesty is the best policy if you don't want to have to eat his ham casserole again. Maybe help him make it the next time if it's something you think would be edible with a few changes. I'd tell him it was ok but it would be spectacular if he did ______ and ______ the next time.

 

[baxjul]

My dh thinks that he can cook, when in all reality, he can't.... It's not often, so I just kind of grin and bear it.

 

[MomToTwoBoys]

God, I'd love it if my DH knew how to make more than hash browns. His version of cooking is dialing the phone to the pizza place.

I'd just say to him that you'd like to make a few suggestions and add that it's not to hurt his feelings, but it's something that you feel you should be honest with him about.

 

[Squidge]

I find this really tough because if my OH has obviously enjoyed the taste of the dinner himself and feels that he's accomplished something, it can feel like I'm criticising the lovely gesture of him making something for me while I put my feet up, as much as the food itself.

Just like AmyBoz said about her DH being sensitive to that kind of feedback, my OH is genuinely disappointed when he makes something that I don't really like since he did it to help me out and he feels like he's providing, thus I don't let him know and just grin and bear it, too!

My situation is different from others here though because my OH's generally a really good cook so this would happen very, very rarely, so it's more important to me that I appreciate the meal for the gesture and not complain - I know that wouldn't work for everyone, though!